Oregonians meet to plot more wilderness areas

On the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act, environmentalists will gather in Portland for an Oregon Wilderness Conference, and to plot ways to add more protected lands in the state.

In the last half-century, Oregon has added new wilderness protections for 4 percent of its public lands. Advocates want to add to that amount

Oregon Wild, which focuses on timber, wildlife and wilderness issues, convenes the three-day event from Thursday, June 5, to Saturday, June 7.

The main conference will be Friday, featuring a range of panel discussions and speakers. There also will be information on birding, rock climbing, and environmental restorations. That takes place at Eliot Center, 1226 S.W. Salmon St. in downtown Portland.

Naturally, Portlanders will need a few suds and live music to get through the week, so the event kicks off Thursday night at Migration Brewing Co., 2828 N.E. Glisan St. Keen Sustainability Director Kirk Richardson will speak at the happy hour, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

On Sunday, attendees will leave the city to hike the Opal Creek and Tamanawas Falls areas.

For more information about the Oregon Wilderness Conference, visit: bit.ly/1kcioft.

Steve Law can reached at 503-546-5139 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..